Recent Central Saint Martins graduate Kijtanes Kajornrattanadech has created a collection of porcelain tableware and metal cutlery with outlines of shadows, in the form of black mats, that are both symbolic and functional.

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Says Kajornrattanadech, "This project is to explore the meaning and implications of shadow in terms of how it can be used as an intangible entity and how it has changed with relation to our society. This question is in response to, and covers, all the elements of my research."

"To develop a process, whereby a product is created in the image of a shadow, but possesses a physical form and is functional. It should also bring to light our opinions and contrasting beliefs about what shadow represents."

"Shadow has the ability to prevent things from appearing flat or two-dimensional. It allows our eyes to calculate the third dimension. Also, it is seen connected to all things existing on this world, whether they are living or not. Shadow is what makes everything that exists on this planet complete."

"It is clear that shadow possesses beauty even as an immaterial thing, its form ever changing according to the environment, but if a shadow could become a real thing, it would be an amazing tangible experience."

"The understanding of shadow is that it is caused by natural phenomena and acts as an indication of which things have a tangible existence on Earth. Shadows make these things complete. A visible object without a shadow, by logic, must either be an act of imagination or something that does not exist. This leads back to my project, which is to design and develop something that allows shadow to become a tangible object in daily life, with a useful function."

The Trace of Shadow coffee cup copies the exact silhouette of the cup, with a similar light source to the cutlery sets. The handle part that can be seen protruding from the shadow (below) is actually the end of a black teaspoon secretly embedded into the coaster.